JOSCO HOLDS SECOND GRADUATION CEREMONY

The St. Joseph's College of Education has held its second graduation and award ceremony in the Tano South District of the Brong Ahafo Region, under the theme "Infrastructural Development a Pre-requisite for Quality Tertiary Education".

In a welcome address, the A

cting Principal of St. Joseph's College of Education, Mr. Anthony Agyeman said the occasion has coincided with the celebration

of the 62 years of the school's existence in the District. He congratulated the founding fathers for establishing such a great institution whose vision is to provide Holistic Catholic Teacher Education in the country.

The Principal said, the school's humble beginnings in 1948 have greatly increased over the past years with student enrolment of 805, a combination of 200 females and 605 males. Mr. Anthony Agyemang also disclosed that the present teaching staff strength of the institution stands at 45 and 45 supporting staff.

He stressed that these gallant men and women have worked tirelessly over the years under poor conditions of service to make the college what it is today. He used the occasion to appeal to the government and other partners to improve infrastructural development in the school so as to attract more qualified staff to teach the students to become professional teachers.

The Principal revealed that the graduates are the third batch of Diploma in Basic Education regular students and the first batch of sandwich students. He said the results of both the regular and sandwich students have shown great improvement. Mr. Agyemang disclosed that five (5) regular students were awarded a certificate of 2^nd class upper. This Principal said is an improvement over the previous years

He further noted that 45 regular students had 2^nd class lower, 146 also 3^rd class and the remaining 40 students had pass, giving the percentage of 92.2% pass. Mr. Anthony Agyemang further disclosed that for the sandwich programme, 51students had 2^nd class upper, 267 had 2^nd class lower ,whiles 280 had 3^rd class and 117 had pass, giving a percentage of 97.3% pass. He therefore congratulated the tutors and the graduantes for such achievement.

He thanked the government for providing the college with a modern auditorium, a science block, a classroom block, a library and vehicles for safety and comfort of the staff and the students. Mr. Agyemang therefore appealed to the government to build more dormitories to enable the college to organize more programmes concurrently and maximized intake of students.

In a speech read by the National Director of Education, Mr. B.K. Mantey on behalf of the Minister for Education, Hon. Tetteh Enyo, he said sixty-two years of the institution's existence have had about thousands of men and women of academic and professional excellence who have passed through the corridors of the college and are contributing their quota towards the development of the country as teachers and administrators

This he said should be a shining example to the graduates to maintain the high level of discipline, hard work and sacrifice which are essential for quality teacher education. The Minister congratulated the graduants for becoming professional teachers. Mr. Tetteh Enyo promised that the government will continue to supply basic infrastructure to the college to make transition of tertiary status a reality.

The Minister hinted that about four hundred and fifty thousand Ghana cedis have been allocated to the college to help realize its theme for the celebration. Hon.Tetteh Enyo commended the Catholic Diocese of Goaso, the Tano South District Assembly a

nd other partners for the supply of equipments and facilities in support with government efforts at providing the needed infrastructure for quality teacher education.

He charged the students and the graduants to continue to offer an integral and holistic teacher education to ensure a better Ghana. The Chairman for the occasion, Sir K.G. Fosuahene Mensah Banahene, also urged the graduants to inculcate in the pupils they would be teaching the good morals and teachings they have received from the college. He therefore encouraged them to join the old JOSCOdians Association so as to fully participate in the development of the college.

The Chairman therefore congratulated the Principal and his staff for awarding benevolent people in the District. Dignitaries such as Nana Fosu Gyeabour Akoto II, Bechemhene, Bishop Peter K. Atuahene, Mr. Matthew Addai and Mr. Tony Atwereboandah were awarded for their various contributions to the development of the college.